Death's Prosperity
by Eldritch Hunter
Summary: Few names are quite as feared, or respected, as Shouge Zhe, a young leopard whose skill is matched only by his extreme cruelty to his enemies. Forced to work as an assassin after a great tragedy that changed his life forever, Shouge Zhe vows to do whatever it takes to slaughter all demons in China, and beyond, though his zealotry often causes much more harm than good.
1. The Assassin

The antediluvian inn sat perched on the edge of a cliff, overlooking miles of bamboo forests and the occasional village, the faint light from the torches visible even from such a formidable distance away. With its dark, decrepit windows shining dim flickering candlelight from within, the structure looked as ominous and uninviting as the maw to the Underworld. Weary travellers passing by would take one glance at the inn and pick up the pace, eager to put the building far behind them.

Despite its crepuscular appearance, on the inside it was warm and cozy, the tables old but sturdy. The candlelight cast flickering shadows like dancing demons, immured within the walls of the inn. The only people who ever came to this inn were regulars who enjoyed the stunning view that the windows provided and the strong alcoholic beverages. On this stygian night, however, there were only two patrons sitting in one of the corner tables, one chair empty and waiting for the third visitor. The two seated water buffalo looked quite unsettled; not because of the inn, for they frequented it, but the enigmatic figure they were waiting for.

The larger of the two water buffalo took a sip from his jar of rice mead, contemplating. The smaller one looked almost ready to bolt out the door at the slightest whim; or, more likely, the window. The larger male had to admit that falling to your death would be a much more preferable fate to being eviscerated by the one they were waiting for. Nothing that all his years of service in the Imperial Army could have prepared him for this. Even when he had thought that he would most definitely perish in war he hadn't been this on edge.

"Where is he?" the larger buffalo wondered out loud. He had thought that an assassin wouldn't be late for a contract giving, and yet here he and his companion anxiously waited for even the slightest telltale sound that would alert them to the monster's presence. "General Zhanzheng," the smaller male began hesitantly. "Did you make sure that you gave him the directions to the right inn?"

General Zhanzheng snorted. "This is the only inn within six miles, Zhu. I highly doubt that I would accidentally give him the directions to another." Normally he wasn't short-tempered, but this reprieve was killing him. He took another big gulp of the rice mead to calm his turbulent nerves. Zhu shifted uneasily, quickly glancing from his left to his right again. Zhanzheng couldn't blame him; the only reason why he wasn't showing any fear now was so that he didn't upset this recruit any more than he already was.

"Hey, let me have a drink of that," piped in an unexpected voice, causing Zhu and Zhanzheng to jump in surprise. Three tiny, almost invisible tendrils darted out from a ragged patch of shadow, wrapping tightly around the General's mead jar. This close, Zhanzheng could see that they were actually wires, although not like any he had seen before; more flexible and resilient than string, yet so shiny that it was visible even in the dim light. The three strands of wire jerked back, causing the jar of rice mead to go flying through the air, without even spilling a drop. A small black paw darted from the shadows, snatching it out of the air in an impressive display of dexterity.

The figure stepped out of the shadows, and Zhanzheng saw that the third person was a young male leopard who couldn't have been older than fifteen. His sleek fur was pitch black and he wore clothes that were even darker, with grey designs of demonic, leering faces stitched on them. The most startling thing about him, though, were his bright blue eyes, the same colour of the sky on a summer day, very unusual to see in a leopard. The child had a hood that was pulled back over his shoulders so that the two water buffalo could see his youthful features and childish grin as he drank the rest of the rice mead in a single gulp.

"Hey!" Zhanzheng roared in outrage, standing up so fast that his chair flew backwards. "That drink there is for adults, not spoiled little brats!"

Zhanzheng didn't know how to describe the next few sensations that he felt. First, there came the slightest breeze accompanied by a faint whistle. A few seconds later, blazing agony erupted from his left horn, following by a clattering sound on the floor behind him. He grabbed his horn in pain, wincing but not crying out against the affliction's relentless assault. To his horror, the spot where his left horn had been was now a stump, cut so cleanly through that it was completely smooth on top. He glanced at the ground behind him and saw the rest of his horn laying on the ground in a tangle of broken keratin and blood.

"My horn," he whispered, dismayed, rubbing the stump with his hoof. He glanced back at the grinning child, and saw nothing but cold contempt in his eyes. He hadn't even moved in the slightest, not even the twitch of a claw, that would give some hint of how the hell he had done that. "Who are you?" Zhanzheng asked him, while Zhu sat there paralysed from terror, gazing at the young panther as his smile widened, showing his sharp canines.

"Shouge Zhe, at your service," the child chimed, bowing in the same fashion as a Kung Fu Master. The name at first didn't ring a bell in the General's head, until he realized with a chill of fear and disbelief at who he was.

"What? You... you can't be the infamous Shadow of Death," Zhanzheng got out. "You're just a kid." He sat back down in his chair. With all of the stories that he had heard about this legendary assassin, he had almost started to believe some of them. They said that he was Death itself, given a mortal body to collect the souls of the dead without prejudice. The last thing he expected the Shadow of Death to be was a child.

"What?" Shouge Zhe said, shrugging. "I'm just an innocent child struggling to make an honest living in a dark, cruel world."

"I'm inclined to disagree with you."

Suddenly the grin vanished from Shouge Zhe's youthful face, and his stare became bleak. In a voice that was both pleasant and friendly, the Shadow of Death said; "If you insult me again, General Zhanzheng, then I just might have to ply my trade on _you._ And your friend Zhu as well, who looks about ready to piss himself already. Speaking of which, didn't you state in your letter that you were going to come alone? I would have thought that a general as – _revered –_ as you would keep his word."

"It's just a safety precaution," stated Zhanzheng. "Anything we say can be said in front of Zhu. I trust him to keep this a secret." He could almost feel the recruit's rush of pride there. Rubbing the stump of his horn, trying to chase away the last few dregs of pain that remained, he continue; "So, are you really as good as they say you are, 'Shadow of Death?'"

"Ask your horn," Shouge Zhe laughed, but the glacial coldness in his eyes didn't shift in the slightest. He stalked forward and sat in the one empty chair, causing Zhu to flinch back at his close proximity. The assassin grinned at him, which only made the young water buffalo more afraid. He leaned back on the chair and then put his feet on the table.

"So, I assume you probably want some details as to why I called you here." Zhanzeng began, choosing his words carefully so as not to offend the assassin and lose his other horn.

"No, I just came for the mead."

"Well," Zhanzheng carried on, ignoring the interruption. "How familiar are you with demons?"

Some unidentifiable emotion flickered in Shouge Zhe's eyes, and he put his feet back on the ground, leaning closer to the general. "Familiar enough."

"I have reason to believe that an army of demons is massing in the Underworld, preparing to emerge and bring carnage to all of China. The Emperor waves my concerns aside, the old fool, but I know that this is true. For the past six or seven years, demons have begun appearing all over China, killing at random and vanishing as quickly as they appeared." The Shadow of Death's eye twitched, but he still had that unreadable expression in his eyes. Zhanzheng continued. "These attacks are happening all the time. The Emperor refuses to accept the truth, mindlessly clinging to the belief that these are just bandits or some other mortal foe. I couldn't deal with his ignorance, so I left his army with some like-minded followers. For three years we, a rogue band of soldiers, have been trying to track down the demons and drive them back, and to see what their true intentions were."

Shouge Zhe was completely silent for a few moments, a troubled expression on his face. "Demons." He murmured, seemingly to himself. "That explains a lot of things."

"Yes. I was never a general in the Imperial Army; my fellow demon hunters began calling me by that name, since I am their leader. Now, I have called you here to ask you if you would aid us in our quest, if you would help us to kill demons, Shadow of Death. We will pay you."

The assassin was silent again for a moment, before surprising Zhanzheng by saying: "Payment won't be necessary. I'll help you kill demons, but I will not make profit from it. I get money for killing people, not demons. Why would I ask you to pay me for something I would do of my own free will?"

Zhanzheng breathed a sigh of relief. Paying the Shadow of Death would have set him and his rogue soldiers back, as his services were notoriously expensive. Why he would do something like this was far beyond the general. He could only guess as to why Shouge Zhe wanted to kill demons so badly, but he didn't want to try and find out, in case it made him change his mind about serving him. The young assassin would no doubt make an excellent demon hunter, if he was as good at killing them as mortals.

"Then it's settled." Zhanzheng said, offering his hoof for Shouge Zhe to shake. He stared at it for a moment with his strange eyes, then took it. "You should know, however, that since I am the leader of the demon hunters, you will have to follow my orders."

Shouge Zhe grinned. "Alright, then." He drew several wires from somewhere; Zhanzheng didn't see where, and continued. "Your standing orders will be followed to the letter. I can promise you that I will do everything that I can to make sure that no demon ever sees the light of day again." Suddenly, it seemed as though the wires dangling from the assassin's finger's simply vanished, then he turned back to Zhanzheng.

"So, then, boss. Where do I begin?" He asked.

"There are demons appearing all over China, seemingly randomly. However, I have been able to discern a pattern in their attacks. I think that they will be attacking somewhere south of here within the next couple of days."

"That really narrows it down." Shouge Zhe commented.

"I know, it's not much to work with. All I can say is that I think it will happen. I've been right about these things before."

The Shadow of Death stood up and walked back to the door. "Farewell for now then, General. I'll find you tomorrow morning so we can begin the hunt."

"Goodbye," Zhanzheng said.

"Goodbye," Zhu echoed, but there was still a slight quaver in his voice even though there wasn't any more threat to be found in Shouge Zhe.

Shouge Zhe opened the door and stepped outside, into the cool night air. He checked to back sure that he still had all of his wire on him, and then grinned. "Well," he said to himself. "It seems I was right about the demons, after all. I think that it's about time I gave those eldritch bastards a proper lesson in violence."


	2. Nine Years Before

The afternoon sun beat down on the small village of Taiyang, its ardent rays casting a scorching heat that no amount of shade could lessen. On such an unusually hot day, many would be trying to cool down in the nearby river, but villagers rushed to and fro, trying to attend to errands as quickly as possible. The rhino guards stood at the gates to the village with their halberds at the ready, a job which few would envy in such heat.

Taiyang had been built in the middle of a field, adjacent to a vast forest of bamboo that stretched for miles. The village had been around for centuries, despite its small population, most of the clustered huts ancient but well kept. It was a peaceful and simple life for those who lived in Taiyang, too far away from any roads that bandits would prowl and close enough to some larger villages that would offer assistance should it be needed.

Though the heat drove most everyone inside who didn't have something to do, two children were playing in the field next to the village. They were both twins, leopards who would have been identical if it weren't for the midnight black fur of the younger one and his icy blue eyes. The older leopard was sitting down in the grass, playing with a wooden action figure. A long piece of string darted out from behind the older leopard, snaring his action figure by the knee and then yanking it right out of his hand.

"Hey!" he protested, turning around to face the black leopard, who was grinning, holding his action figure in one hand while a a long strand of string dangled from his fingers, coiled on the ground. "Shouge Zhe, I really wish you wouldn't do that all the time! That's _my _action figure, not yours."

"Is it?" Shouge Zhe asked, feigning innocence. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you playing with it, Lieren."

"It was in my hand, Shouge Zhe! How didn't you see that I was playing with it?"

Shouge Zhe shrugged. Though he was only six years old, his accuracy and precision with string was astounding. His father had said that when he had first opened his eyes as a newborn, he had seen a piece of string on the other side of the room. His father had found him trying to lasso a priceless jade statue with it, laughing as he did so. Even though he was worried that he would choke himself with the string, his father soon changed his mind when he saw how much it entertained him. Now his endless practice with it had made Shouge Zhe able to take items right out of people's hand's from over ten paces away, a tactic which he used often on the local villagers.

Lieren, on the other hand, didn't find his younger twin's skill as impressive as everyone else did. Shouge Zhe would constantly take toys right from his hands, so often that the leopard refused to play with his twin. It didn't matter to him that much, however. He preferred to be alone so that he could practice lassoing things with his string. He felt that it would be a very good weapon if it were sharp and strong enough; however, in all the stories of heroes in ages past that his father had told him about, none of them used wire or anything like that as a weapon. He doubted if someone had made some kind of weaponized wire, but it never hurt to dream about it.

"Give me my action figure back, Shouge Zhe." Lieren said, his claws unsheathing and digging into his palms. He looked ready to jump and throttle his younger twin in a few seconds if he didn't comply. His anger was so amusing that he couldn't possibly grant him his wish. Shouge Zhe glanced dispassionately at the action figure, a hand-carved tortoise with a strange staff, before turning back to his brother.

"Or what, Lieren?"

"Or else."

"Or else you'll do what? Throw fairy dust at me?" Shouge Zhe laughed, twirling the string around his head. He held the action figure in front of his older brother's face, who tried to snatch it, before throwing it over his shoulder. Lieren dove after his toy, but before it even hit the ground, Shouge Zhe had caught it with the string and sent it flying right back into his hand. "Too slow," he teased, dancing out of the way as his twin dove for the action figure again.

"Give it back!" Lieren snarled, balling his paws into a fist. Shouge Zhe had wrapped the string around the neck of the toy and was letting it dangle close to his brother's face. Shouge Zhe was prepared to dodge should Lieren try to grab it, but he was surprised when his twin's fist caught him on the nose. He was so shocked by the sudden burst of pain that he fell back onto the ground. But not before catching the action figure again with the string and spinning it in a full circle around his head. Lieren went for his paw this time instead of the toy, but Shouge Zhe was already on his feet and had dodged the blow.

"Now, both of you, stop that."

The unexpected voice made Shouge Zhe jump in surprise, turning around to face the wizened face of Xianguan, the local creepy hermit who locked himself in his hut and did who-knows-what all day. His smile made the scars on his eyes wrinkle and crease, turning what should have been a pleasant grin a demonic one. The old goat leaned closer to Shouge Zhe, with that strange smile still plastered on his face.

"Listen," Xianguan said cheerfully, his red eyes twinkling. "Violence is never the right answer. _Unless _if it's used against the Emperor, and his subjects." Shouge Zhe nervously shared a glance with Lieren, uncertain as to what the old hermit wanted. Neither of them had heard him coming, but that wasn't too surprising, given their brief scuffle.

"Now, give your brother his toy back, Shouge Zhe." The young panther gave a start of surprise that Xianguan knew his name. He had only seen the goat twice before now; and neither times had he spoken to him. Without question, he handed the action figure back to Lieren, who took it and stalked away into the woods, away from Shouge Zhe's grasping string. He felt a chill of fear as he looked into Xianguan's eyes. Even though he was only six years old, he was just as tall as the old goat, although much leaner.

"What are you going to do to me?" Shouge Zhe asked with a quaver in his voice, backing away from Xianguan.

"Nothing, of course, child." The old goat pulled a pendant out from under his tattered shirt and began fondling it. Shouge Zhe saw that it was actually the skull of a very small creature, with large rubies placed in its empty eye sockets. His heartbeat quickened, and he wrenched his gaze from the tiny skull and back into Xianguan's eyes. The old goat was grinning at his reaction, then asked him: "Ever heard of demons before, child?"

"N-no" He stammered.

"Ah, such innocence. So refreshing to see it again after so many years." The goat leaned closer to Shouge Zhe, who tried backing up and ending up falling. Xianguan stepped forward, kneeling down until his face was just inches away from the young leopard's. "They're coming, child." He whispered "They're coming for you and there is nothing any mortal can do to stop them." Suddenly the goat threw his head back and began laughing maniacally, the shrill sound reverberating through the trees.

"And what, may I ask, are you doing here, Xianguan?"

Shouge Zhe breathed a sigh of relief at hearing his father's voice. He craned his neck around to see Linghun standing mere feet away, staring at Xianguan with narrowed eyes, his tail twitching and his tawny fur starting to bristle. His father was well over twice the height of the hermit, and twice as broad, but the old goat's grin showed no fear. Linghun had been a soldier for twenty years, he said, but he had never illuminated the topic any further than that for either of his sons. Shouge Zhe had no doubt that he could tear Xianguan in half with little to no effort, and without a weapon.

"I was just apprehending your son, you see. He had been picking on his brother, stealing toys right out of his hands with that string of his." The goat's grin didn't falter, but his incandescent eyes were as chilling as death.

"Was he, now?" Linghun's gaze flicked to Shouge Zhe, who shifted uncomfortably and looked away.

"Yes, and now that my work here is finished, I'll just be going now. Important business, you see." Xianguan stood up and shambled away, disappearing into the undergrowth with barely a sound. Shouge Zhe felt a hot flush as his father turned his gaze back to his son. "Is what he said true, Shouge Zhe?"

The young leopard bowed his head. "Yes, father."

"What else did he say to you?"

Shouge Zhe glanced up in surprise at his father, who was staring at him with a serious expression. _How does he know that he said something else? _"He- he asked me if I ever heard of demons before."

Linghuns eyes widened, and he leaned closer to his son. "Anything else?"

"He said that they're coming, and that no mortal could stop them."

Linghun's breath caught in his throat, and he shifted his massive head to the patch of undergrowth that the old hermit had disappeared into. "Where's Lieren?" He asked

"He went into the woods after Xianguan told me to stop picking on him. That way," he said, pointing to a narrow path that zigzagged through the tall chutes of bamboo.

"Shouge Zhe, listen to me, and listen carefully. Never speak to Xianguan again. He's dangerous. If he approaches you, run home as fast as you can, and don't look back." The slight fear in his father's voice made Shouge Zhe even more anxious. "Go home now, son, and don't leave the hut for the rest of the day. I'll go and find Lieren."

Shouge Zhe wanted to protest, but the urgency with which his father spoke made him know that something was terribly wrong with the old goat. He bowed his head to Linghun, and mumbled, "Yes father."

Linghun turned and headed down the path that Lieren had gone down, leaving Shouge Zhe along and more confused than ever. Shrugging, he turned and headed back for home, wondering what it was about the old goat that could have frightened his father so much. Linghun was much stronger and faster than Xianguan, who couldn't even walk without a cane. So what was it that could possibly galvanize his father so?

It was only a short walk before Shouge Zhe reached the hut that he lived in with his father and brother. It was small, set off slightly away from all the others, but it was the perfect size for Linghun and his two sons. Shouge Zhe opened the creaky wooden door and stepped inside, still pondering what Xianguan had said. What are demons? Why would they be coming for him in particular? He glanced out the window and gasped aloud.

Xianguan was standing there, about ten feet away from the window, staring right into his eyes. But that wasn't the most frightening thing; beside him there was – a shadow. It was the only way Shouge Zhe could describe it; it was twice as tall as the old hermit, and formed out of what looked like swirling, inky black smoke. Twin red eyes gazed at him from what should have been a face, but was just an amorphous cloud of darkness. The shadows shifted slightly, and a monstrous face revealed itself; slavering jaws and savage fangs, but nothing more than that and its eyes. It looked like the creation of a mad god, made as a portrait to its own insanity. Shouge Zhe cried out and ran to his room, where he hid, trembling, under his bed as he waited for his father and brother to return.


End file.
